Fraudsters are said to have made off with a truckload of artisan cheddar cheese worth around $390,000 from one of Britain’s most famous cheese shops.

Friday’s report said the scammers “posed as authorized wholesalers for a major French retailer” and sent 950 copies of cloth-bound Hafod’s, Westcombe and Pitchfork cheddar cheeses to London-based Neal’s Yard Dairy. He said he ordered more than one. statement From a dairy store.

Neal’s Yard Dairy reportedly delivered around 48,500 pounds of cheddar cheese before wholesalers realized it was fake. Neal’s Yard Daily said news of the alleged fraud was “difficult to share”.

“Despite the significant financial hit, we have honored our commitments to our small suppliers and paid all three cheesemakers in full,” the cheese distributor added. (Related: Six people arrested on suspicion of carrying out the largest gold heist in America’s neighboring country, including three arrested, authorities announced)

The dairy is “working with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators of this scam.” He also urged all cheese lovers to be wary of “cheddar cheese wrapped in cloth.” [22-pound] or [52-pound] Please format with tags removed” and alerts stores if food is found.

300 grams of Hafod cheddar cheese sells for £12.90 (about $16.72), BBC News reported.

“The world of artisanal cheese is a place where trust is deeply rooted in every transaction,” Patrick Holden, owner of the farm that makes Hufford’s cheddar cheese, told the BBC. “A world where words form bonds.

“While it may have caused setbacks for the company, the degree of trust that exists across our small industry is due in no small part to the spirit of Neal’s Yard Dairy’s founders,” he continued.

According to the BBC, a 250-gram Pitchfork wedge weighs 11 pounds (about $14.26), while a similar weight Westcom wedge costs 7.15 pounds (about $9.27).

“The process of making that cheese started almost three years ago when we planted seeds for animal feed,” Westcombe Dairy’s Tom Culver told the BBC. “The amount of effort that goes into raising our cows, focusing on best farming practices, and transforming our milk one batch at a time to produce the best possible cheese is immeasurable.

“It’s really terrible that it was stolen.”